Charts boss Martin Talbot said the move was "about future-proofing the charts".

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The BBC's Rebecca Jones talks to Martin Talbot of the Official Charts Company

"So far this year we've seen nine tracks which have been streamed more than one million times in a week. Last year there were only two tracks that had reached that kind of level," said Mr Talbot.

"So we're seeing a huge growth, up 50% in the first half of this year."

He told the BBC the Official Charts Company had been looking into the idea for "some time" but felt now was the right moment, suggesting it echoed how they had already "evolved" over the years in response to the popularity of vinyl, cassettes, CDs and downloads.

Daft Punk's Get Lucky was the most streamed track last year in the UK

Streaming services Spotify, Deezer, Napster, 02 Tracks, Music Unlimited, Rara and Xbox Music - most of which charge subscribers a monthly fee to listen to unlimited music - will now provide compilers with weekly data.

The first chart to include streams will air on BBC Radio 1 on Sunday 6 July, with 100 streams of a song counting as the equivalent of one single purchased.

"This is a far greater shift in emphasis than has ever happened before," music journalist Fraser McAlpine told the BBC.

"No one ever asked pop fans how many times they played the singles they took home.

"In a sense, it's a lot fairer, because the chart becomes a measurement of the genuine excitement around certain songs, and how that changes over time even after people have started to listen privately.

"It's the first time plays would count towards something larger in cultural terms, rather than just being the most-played track on a single service."

Broader range

However, it is unlikely to make much difference at the top of the chart.

Daft Punk's Get Lucky was the UK's most streamed track last year and the second biggest-selling single of the year.

"By and large the most streamed tracks are the same as the most sold tracks," said Talbot.

"The changes you see are towards the bottom end of the top 10 and further down the chart."

It is artists such as Alt-J who stand to benefit. The Mercury Prize-winners are 14th most-streamed act in the UK, but their highest-charting single to date is Breezeblocks, which only reached number 75 in 2012.

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'We've finally got to the point where streaming is mainstream", says Spotify

"It's nice for bands who maybe don't make much impact on the singles charts, like us," Gus Unger-Hamilton from Alt-J told Radio 4's Today programme.

"If people listen to a band's album a lot [on a streaming service] it will gradually contribute to each of those song's performance in the singles chart."

“Start Quote

It is a coming of age for streaming services, an indication that the industry accepts and understands streaming is here to stay”

End QuoteMartin TalbotOfficial Charts Company

He added: "If young people are going to think the charts are relevant to them and the music they listen to then this has got to be a step."

Mark Goodier, a former host of the Radio 1 chart show, said the countdown was still "incredibly important" for both bands and the music business.

"It's also really important for the fans, if they like One Direction or Pharrell Williams, to know where that is relative to everybody else.

"We like lists, it's very important that they're credible. [Streaming] is how the kids are choosing to consume their music, so this is a very positive move."

Analysis by Rebecca Jones, BBC arts correspondent

This change is significant, but not just because it breaks the 62-year link between buying a piece of music and its position in the charts.

It will give a more accurate representation of what people are listening to. But by incorporating only audio streams, and omitting the billions of video views on sites like YouTube, the picture will still not be complete.

The move does represent a coming of age for streaming services and a deeper acceptance of them by the music industry.

But there is little to suggest the change will actually have much impact on which song goes to the top of the charts.

In tests carried out by the Official Charts Company over the last 18 months, the inclusion of streaming services made a difference to the Number One single only once, and the top five songs remained largely the same.

Jameela Jamil hosts the Official Chart Show on Radio 1 - seen here with former number one Ed Sheeran

Other countries including Sweden, Germany and the US have already started including streaming in their sales charts, with America's Billboard chart announcing its changes in October 2012.

The Official Charts Company said the change would reflect a wider range of music listeners.

"We looked at the records that benefitted and it was a real broad range from the Arctic Monkeys to will.i.am, from Aviici to Imagine Dragons," said Mr Talbot.

YouTube video streams will not be included in the countdown, although the Official Charts Company has said it will regularly review the situation.

"A video stream is not the same as an audio stream - some people watch a video for different reasons from the reasons they'd listen to an audio track," said Mr Talbot.

'Coming of age'

Each track will have to be played for 30 seconds before it counts as one stream.

To avoid fans "gaming" the system, only 10 plays will be counted per user, per day.

A new Official Breakers Chart is also being launched to reflect the ten fastest growing new tracks according to sales and streams.

"This a significant moment in the history of the official singles chart, and as a result it's also a very significant moment in the music industry as well," said Mr Talbot.

"It is a coming of age for streaming services, an indication that the industry accepts and understands streaming is here to stay."

The first Official Singles Chart to include streams will air on BBC Radio 1 on Sunday 6 July, between 16:00-19:00 BST.

Comment number 69.

McMaddon23rd June 2014 - 13:24

It could go both ways.

Often if I've got a mundane job to do I'll just use streaming to stick on a playlist of the top UK tracks. Most of it I don't really like but it's easy to put on and it doesn't get cut off for interviews/phone-ins. In this sense then it'll just boost the generic charts.

However I often use streaming to enjoy some more obscure bands, which could get publicity with this.

Comment number 67.

Creepy23rd June 2014 - 13:16

No it doesn't, it mearly means Gangnam Style was the 'most popular' song.Whether you like a song or not is irrelivant, you listened to it along with everyone else - the chart reflects that popularity.And if a single gets the roughly 5 million streams (euqal to 50k sales) then it deserves that #1 spot tbh.

Comment number 63.

Pochettinos Army23rd June 2014 - 12:57

This is absolutely ridiculous. I have been part of a number of campaigns (including the most recent Rik Mayall campaign).

What is to stop people associated with artists, using a dynamic IP address listening to 30 seconds of a song, rebooting their router and streaming again. You can set this up to run automatically and presto... On 1 PC, you theoretically stream a song 1400 times a day.

Comment number 62.

LippyLippo23rd June 2014 - 12:55

I used to work for a record company, and the 'net has ruined the industry IMO. Where is the sense of ownership that comes from buying and owning a record? No album art, no digging out singles from years ago to play them, no sense of the experience, just press a button and out pops a file. Modern Life is Rubbish....

Comment number 61.

Bill Walker23rd June 2014 - 12:54

@29leaguefan"How many could actually stand on stage with live musiciains are reproduce their "hit" without the benefit of all the electronics and enchancements they use?"Quite true. A skilled studio sound engineer can electronically "tweak" someone singing flat into tune, and add power to a weak voice. That leaves the new boy wonders the simple task of stepping in time to the music.

Comment number 60.

incredulous23rd June 2014 - 12:51

I suppose it depends on what the ratings are for. Why do we need to know 1mil records have been played or bought. If the music is good it will be played/bought. If it depends on it being popular because loads of others listen is that an indication of anything more than copycat behaviour?

Comment number 57.

pete clack23rd June 2014 - 12:45

I agree with others that you often listen to a song on line, but you very rarely would even consider buying it. Usually these are just samples not complete, so this would make charts an even bigger joke than they already are. You could in effect have a number one hit without selling a single copy. You listen first out of interest but not to buy or even download, this really is a poor joke !

Comment number 55.

CreepyComment number 55 is an Editors' Pick23rd June 2014 - 12:43

Lots of people seem to say the chart is irrelevant or meaningless..The chart has always and is still portraying what's "Popular" this week. Music quality always has meant nothing in terms of what's popular, so the chart is doing exactly as it's always done.Streaming music is now really popular, so to capture what's popular overall, you have to include that method in the stats.

Comment number 54.

TQ2Boyz23rd June 2014 - 12:35

How about a "band support" chart? How many actual bums wind up on seats when bands play live. Wouldn't THAT be more representative of ACTUAL support, instead of the gimme-it-for-free-online-piracy that operates today? (And it would nurture playing talent, hard work AND keep music out of the greedy hands of Simon Cowell!!)

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